Folau says he will be ready for the All Blacks

 Folau says he will be ready for the All Blacks

Code swapping sensation Israel Folau is confident he will be ready to play the All Blacks in The Investec Rugby Championship opener in Sydney, with the Waratahs back injuring his hamstring towards the end of NSW's season.

Folau, who is set to announce his playing future in the coming weeks, is expected to make the cut when Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie trims down his 40 player squad.

While there are plenty of options in the three-quarter line, Folau, selected as a fullback or wing by McKenzie, is expected to make the starting team due to the dramatic impact he has made on the game in a short amount of time, bringing the same amount of x-factor that another former league international brought to rugby a little while back.

The former NRL and AFL star, humble as always, hoped to be picked in the Wallabies final squad, as he looked forward to playing the All Blacks, who he regarding as rugby’s pinnacle.

“It's exciting to be picked in the 40-man squad and now I have to work hard to get into that 25,” he said to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“It will be an exciting time and if you get that opportunity to play against the All Blacks it's the pinnacle of rugby so it will be great.

“I know the All Blacks have held the cup for a long time, and that's all Australia wants, to bring it back. This year will be a great opportunity to try to get the job done and bring the cup home because all the boys are still disappointed about the (British and Irish Lions) series and the next big thing is the Bledisloe.'

i have to admit ive never felt as confident about the RC/4nats as i do in 2013, All Blacks have continued their winning ways in june, bouncing back after a disapointing loss to england thier first for the year on the 2012 EOYT in fine form.
wallabies and the boks for that matter are still a threat, but we always put on our top teams against them, and i dont think our SANZAR brothers have the man power to contain our game.

the wallabies have talent to boot, but they will be fielding All Blacks favourite snack in quade cooper and just look at what the All Blacks have done to him, even the crusaders reduced him into a whimpering pass and kick miss tackle machine.
mackenzie loves to hide cooper out at fullback on defnece, a ploy that helped us destroy the wallabies in the 2011 semi final and mackenzie still cant get enough of that rubbish tactic, but kudos to him, makes keeping the bledisloe all that much easier, even with stars like folau on the rise.

i am expecting the wallabies forwardpack to be improve 100%, after wtaching them get eaten alive by the lions pack their will be a lot of extra work going on in this area, plus scott sio is on the fast track to superstardom, cos hes one hell of a prop.

i wonder if folau will make the 22, a very real question considering that mackenzie has said he wouldnt of played folau in the lions test.

So glad players like Folau are in the game. Players like him (SBW) and few othes like Ranger add so much X factor that you have to stay on the edge of your seat when they get the ball. Every sport needs such players. Man, did I get some Fantasy Rugby points on Folau the first time I picked him - ahhh, the memories - give us more of them mate.

@redsneck,

"Wouldn't be surprised at all to see Matt Toomua start @ 10 v ABs in Sydney. QC off the bench. "
well u would be the only one, mark my words, after all the hoohaa that mackenzie made when deano didnt pick cooper and i quote "cooper is the best 10 in australia", he would look like quite a chicken shit fool who dosent have the courage of his convictions, no wonder he was a wallaby, the colour yellow has never been more appropriate.

"so maybe Toomua is the man... and for that matter lookout cruden if he runs at matty this weekend - he will surely be snapped in half."
yaaaawn, is that the same matty who was pulverised by tom taylor??? LMAO
i love toomua, IMO hes a million times better then cooper, but mackenzie dosent have the smarts to not start cooper, but ask mackenzie the best technique for devouring three whole pigs in under a minute, and he will write u detailed manual.

"Love the confidence suscker as pride comes before a fall..."
well u would know, u were so vocal about the reds smashing the crusaders, only for u to be inconspicuously absent the next few days after the christchurch massacre.